| Crawley Town 1 |
| Wright 14 |
| Bradford City 0 |
By Adam Raj
Well it’s good to be back. Or not. Honestly, it’s like we’ve never been away.
Lose to the odds on favourites for relegation? Tick. Have a man sent off? Tick. Potentially lose our only goalscorer to injury? Tick. Disastrous individual debuts? Tick. Failure to score on the opening day? Tick.
It’s now five years since City last scored on the opening day – Jack Payne’s winner at Shrewsbury in 2018. Albeit that wasn’t a particularly good indication of what was to come that season.
Anyway, fast forward to 2023 and a very wet August afternoon in West Sussex and Bradford City managed to do the most Bradford City thing imaginable. On paper, they couldn’t have asked for a kinder opening fixture against a Crawley side who are in disarray off the pitch, with fans at war with one time City ownership hopefuls Wagmi United.
“Wagmi Out” – spray painted across the walls of the underpass that led to the Broadfield Stadium and across the banner that was unveiled in the home terrace pre kick off. This was off the back of another turbulent summer that saw several established Football League players being moved on and replaced with players from non league. This is not a happy club.
Yet they still managed to overcome the Bantams. They still managed to keep a clean sheet. Even with the caveat of a man advantage, this is an alarming result for a City side whose deficiencies were laid bare for all to see.
Nothing on show was particularly shocking. The concerns and fears that have been aired all summer rang true with every passing minute. None more so than City’s glaring lack of quality in the wing back positions that continue to hamper their transition to the 3-5-2.
And Ash Taylor. Oh boy.
Where to even start here? Put it bluntly, that may be one of the worst individual debuts that I have ever seen watching City. He is everything that fans of his past clubs warned us that he was. Slow, clumsy, terrible on the ball and with the turning circle of the titanic. Questions have to be asked of City’s decision to recruit someone who had been laughed out of his last three English clubs. And of Mark Hughes, whose decision to start him over an accomplished and reliable centre half in Matty Platt, was utterly scandalous.
Taylor’s inability to control a simple pass from Richie Smallwood caused the situation that saw Daniel Oyegoke sent off on debut for a cynical challenge on Danilo Orsi. The Brentford loanee had impressed in a wing-back position during pre season but looked lost at centre half, even before his first booking after half an hour. Oyegoke is not a particularly good defender, but he’s a talented player in possession who has more value to the team at wing-back.
And that leads us on to the general make up of that back line. Halliday, Oyegoke, Taylor, Kelly, Ridehalgh
The wing backs aren’t wing backs, one of the centre backs isn’t a centre back and another centre back is nowhere near this level. That’s four of the five players who either aren’t good enough or are out of position. It’s hardly a surprise that the defensive structure was non-existent.
Let’s get one thing straight – Brad Halliday and Liam Ridehalgh are not wing-backs. And as a fan of Halliday, I’m disappointed that the change of system this year makes him redundant, but that’s exactly what he is. And if Halliday is, then Ridehalgh most certainly isn’t good enough on the other side. The veteran left back really struggled this afternoon, not only to cope with the demands of getting up and down the pitch, but most notably in possession.
Ridehalgh hampers our play whenever he finds himself without acres of space to pick out a cross. He lacks pace and an ability to beat a man, which is forgivable for an orthodox left back. But that means when Ridehalgh has the ball, it ends up going backwards more often than not. Our left side was non existent in the second half of last year and it doesn’t look like anything’s changed.
One man to come away with some credit this afternoon is Cieran Kelly. On his full debut for the club, he was largely solid and looked like he could be a dependable player this season. It was his foul though that led to the only goal of the game. I say foul, but on first viewing, it looked like a perfectly clean tackle. However, whistle and card happy referee Thomas Parsons thought otherwise. Harry Lewis set up a three man wall that was made up of Alex Pattison, Andy Cook and Jamie Walker. A particularly small wall for a free kick within shooting range and being taken by a player in Will Wright who has a record of being somewhat of a set piece specialist. The centre half got the ball up and down, over the wall and into the bottom corner. A bigger wall would no doubt have blocked the effort.
Either side of that goal, City’s performance was actually fairly promising. They started brighter, with Walker and new signing Clarke Oduor going close with long range efforts. Pattison and Walker then went close to equalising but wasted good opportunities with poor finishes inside the box. City continued to work the ball into good areas but failed, as they have so often done in the past, with the final shot/pass/cross.
Following Oyegoke’s sending off, the game became less chaotic, with Crawley playing keep ball and City not being able to press as aggressively with a man disadvantage. The hosts could have extended their lead after Ronan Darcy hit the crossbar and Kaladi Lolos forced a good save from Lewis, but aside from those two efforts, the hosts looked every inch the side they’re forecasted to be.
Cook’s withdrawal late in the second half made a bad afternoon worse, with Matt Derbyshire failing to impress as his replacement.
Alongside Kelly, Oduor is another who can feel slightly pleased with his contribution. He has that natural pace and dribbling ability that you’d expect a wide man to have and he certainly looks more comfortable playing further forward that at wing-back.
He went close with a half volley in the second half following Cook’s knockdown but City came closest to an equaliser in stoppage time through Ridehalgh who headed tamely at home keeper Corey Addai.
But what matters is the result. And City lost, for reasons that can largely be attributed to one thing. Recruitment – either the lack of it, or the quality of those brought through the door.
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widthofapost.com 
What makes this all the more depressing is that the frailties and problems in the system and selection were all entirely predicable. Who’d have thought that Taylor was suspect, especially in this formation. Or that Oyegoke is not a centre back. Or that Ridehalgh is not a good enough left wing back for a team trying to go up. Anyone who watched us in pre-season, that’s who. And if we can see this from the stands, why can’t Hughes?
I hate to overreact after one game but a lot of us could see today coming after the summer recruitment and change in formation so why couldn’t Hughes?
The defensive mess is what’s most infuriating and as I say so many supporters could see it coming.
If we’re playing three CBs then Odusina and Kelly as options for the left are fine, Stubbs and Platt for the centre are fine but we have nobody for the right.
Why have we signed Taylor who is terrible and can only play in the centre where we already have Stubbs & Platt?
We ended up putting Oyegoke on the right of the three when he should be at WB & we’ve played Ridehalgh and Halliday at WB when both can only play FB. It’s a real mess.
And it’s a mess of Hughes’ own making because last season our defensive unit was pretty solid and arguably the best part of our team yet he’s decided to change it.
In this new formation we also have one extra defender and one less attacker on the pitch than last season. What is he doing?
Hughes needs to realise his mistakes and sort this out quickly otherwise I can’t see him lasting long this season because we’ll be down at the wrong end of the table.
Absolutely spot on. What an earth are Gent and Hughes doing in relation to communication for recruitment? Sparks is over seeing this shambles and yet again Hughes short comings are there for all to see except the man himself.
As I watched Crawley run through the heart of our midfield, with and without 10 men, with impunity and us be pretty but unincisive in attack, I do just wonder think whether this is all doomed to failure.
I mean hopefully Crawley turn out to be elite opposition…but I suspect not.
At the start of the summer, there was a clear opportunity for me, to form a dynamic and pacy front 3 that actually scared the opposition….Wright long gong, Banks going and Cook out of contract. Could we not have formed a dangerous 3 that actually scared opposition? I would never lament the re-sigining of Andy Cook, but around him we needed pure fire.
The 4-2-3-1 was actually fine and Walker is an accomplished number 10, but my God your players flanking Cook better be Monsters!
You have to hurt teams, in transition, in the blink of an eye. We’re crippled by ineffectiveness and I’m not sure Hughes understands that a Parky-ball, Evans-ball approach in L2 is just better, it just works….you don’t harmlessly possession your way out of this division…we’re on the wrong path.
Richard S, you are spot on, Sir.
Writing as someone who made the treacherous journey down to West Sussex through the biblical precipitation, your comments are fair and to the point, in what was a thoroughly underwhelming experience all round.
The Width of a Post reports are invariably accurate and well balanced and Adam Raj’s recount is no exception. Although I must take slight issue with the view that Crawley looked like a relegation side – they didn’t. Maybe they had an exceptionally good day or it may have been that City were so poor that they made Crawley look like title condenders.
The fact is, that even for the few brighter moments from City, Crawley could and should have been two or three up by half-time, regardless of the crass, brainless refereeing on display.
The final ball, pass and shot from City players remains ineffectual and indecisive.
Meet the new boss, same as the old boss, to quote Pete Townshend.
Nothing has changed.
I think you’re a bit harsh on crawley town. I thought they looked pretty promising , certainly not an obvious cert for relegation. Bradfords defence was ropey and you’re right on the lack of pace wide . Good article
The comments made after just one league game are vëry serious, reading between the lines you are having a real go at the management of Bradford City,without calling our the manager out .The club will also must be worried not just about today but the recruitment and strange tactics and playing players out of position.
Good article but I think you’re a big harsh on Crawley who looked a decent team , certainly going fwd. they didn’t seem the automatic bet for relegation as we’ve been told. You’re right on our lack of pace out wide and an uncertain defence . Bradford started well and looked like a team that could play one touch football with good passes that stretched the defence but they couldn’t keep it up . Let’s see what’s next
Sadly staring down a season of mediocrity in a very strong league 2.
All of the comments already made are accurate. Hughes has adopted a system not suited to the squad he has, and has failed to add key talent to the most crucial positions for this system to work effectively, namely the wing backs.
I would just add that the thing to cause most pessimism is Hughes’ stubbornness. He won’t change this until probably late Sept or Oct by which point we’ll be adrift having drawn way too many games 0-0 or 1-1.
Fan discontent will mount and I predict Hughes to walk by Christmas. Sparks won’t have the billiards to sack him.
The result is very disappointing, but the reaction is way OTT.
We’ve had one match of the season and already decided that the recruitment lacks “quality”.
Christ! We used to say don’t judge until November. Now we can’t even get past earlier August.
But I too couldn’t work out how he could put the defenders in those positions. However, Taylor is playing because of his height, because we all moaned that we were poor at defensive set pieces and goals from defence – last season. I guess it’s a case of be careful what you wish for as I saw no reason to change the defensive set up.
However, first games really shouldn’t be giving such despairing responses. Let’s put things in perspective, all four pre-season faves have lost today and none of them have come out with any credit.
Are we betting that all four won’t be in the Top 7? I’m not – at least until game ten!!
Onwards and upwards (it can’t get worse – can it?)
Are you brobantam on the t and a forum?
So our engine room midfield now is what ?? I mean we struggled at times with RS and AG (out of position midfielder) all season long then we replace him with an attacking (goal threat midfielder) in AP. He must wonder what he is doing in that position – the players must wonder what MH is doing and that usually ends in one of two things. A return to a system that most of these players know and trust or MH stubbornly cracking on with this regardless until it is a cess pit of doom at VP by October – the hurt of Carlisle is looming large over things still. Trying to be clever at this level with systems that you’ve barely ever used as a manager before and players have hardly played in before is simply unnecessary. Our defence and system overall worked with better standard of midfielder alongside RS – improved left back and a replacements for Wright-Banks etc we would be happy so would the players. This will backfire rapidly unless the square pegs are put in square holes rapidly.
Patience is not what it was 12 months ago having wasted a great opportunity last year. 2 wins out of last 7 league games and a pre season without a winning feeling (for what it’s worth) it all adds up. In my humble opinion.
Thrilling opening fixtures there first 3 are not !
Spot on.
Why Hughes has ripped up the good stuff from last year and over complicated things when all we needed was a couple of tweaks (mainly to his own cautious attitude and the three players behind Cook) is absolutely infuriating.
If I’m Sparks and ‘if’ I had nothing to do with the recruitment I’d be asking some serious questions to Gent. Tbf he found Wright and Banks, but he also more recently given us Bola, Costello, Nevers and now Taylor. Oyegoke actually looks good in an attacking sense so why Hughes played him where he did is a mystery and only he knows.
We appear to have gone all in on a system where in truth we are still very short of the players to actually play it. In doing so we have barely any wingers and thus have limited our changes and ability to attack. Again, who is behind this decision making? It almost appears that we have said he’s tall, sign him, he can throw it long, sign him..doesnt matterhiw old they are or if they can actually run, turn and react i.e. Taylor..some on contracts that are way too long. Take Smith. He may end up good but 3 years on a lad who has barely scored any goals even whilst on loan at our level?
We are only fans, yet many seem to be able to SEE what is needed/required more than the paid professionals. Yep its only the first game but by the same fact and logic, why are we having to play people our of position alread? And how does Hughes and his team think that we needed to play 3 at the back no matter even if we dont have yhe players to play it? Whilst also thinking that Taylor was a better option than Platt or even Timi?
It looked a messy watch against a poor team and despite been only the 1st game really raises many questions about what we are trying to do.
City had their moments upfront and looked very shaky at the back but I don’t think one game should be too worrying provided the rest of the transfer window is used well by recruiting some decent loan / own players to fit round pegs in round holes. Aside from that, where will the new stance taken by Refs take us as that was madness with cards flying around for fun? I thought the idea was to cut out time wasting etc but for me, the more cards that came out, the more the players were seemingly trying to get each other booked and hopefully sent off! Crazy!!
Why are our fans invariably ahead of the curve where City are concerned but our manager is not. No hindsight here. We all saw this coming. How can we have a squad of almost 30 players but end up with 4 players playing out of position in the first game? Last season we recruited lots of wingers but rarely if ever played them. This season we are playing a wingback system without genuine wingbacks. (Sorry we have one but we played him in the back 3). Sort it out. We are sick of the under achieving.
I feel the old cliche of we could see it coming springs to mind after today’s performance.
Usually with a new season it brings hope and optimism that we can improve from the season before but going into this season i still feel hungover from the play off defeat and recruitment has left me very underwhelmed.
We saw last season how from attacking perspective we lacked goals from other areas. I don’t feel that’s at all been addressed. James Norwood this week signed for Oldham. A proven striker with a proven track record yet he drops into non league. Are we that unattractive or is recruitment looking in the wrong areas. We desperately need another striker or 2 to take the burden away from Cook and instead we’ve brought in a raw prospect in Tyler Smith with little experience.
From a creative point i don’t feel we’re in any better position than last season. I do like the signing of Paterson but where’s the spark coming from? We have no wide players who are prepared to take on men. From last season we’ve lost Scott Banks and Tyreik Wright and haven’t replaced either. Michael Jacobs signed for Chesterfield, I would happily have him in this team over Smallwood.
I looked at the bench today and don’t see who has the quality to change the game. Derbyshire, East, Smith, Osadebe, Doyle, Platt, Gilliead. Do any stand out as game changers? How many are actually good enough to be in the starting XI.
I’m not one for calling for change but i feel this month is the biggest in Mark Hughes city career so far. Next week we need to see a response of some sort. Defeat or a poor performance will see those grumbles get louder. The following week we come face to face with Derek Adams (The man who said there was no one better than him). Lose to Morecambe and things may become very toxic quickly.
This week i would hope the club can bring in a couple of new faces. Something to excite supporters before Saturday. A statement of intent from the board to show they mean business. I really hope that Crawley was a blip but we’ve seen already from just 1 game the pressure is building on Mr Hughes.
It seems to me that City are restricted by budget. We still have a large squad but compared to last season we are weaker. Defence is extremely poor with lack of options. Mark wants to play wing backs but with conventional full backs. We were up against a team in turmoil. We should be expected to get some thing. We were second best. I believe even with 11 men we would not have scored. I like Hughes he brings a lot to the club but results are key. The squad is simply not good enough, particularly playing this system. Mark needs to reflect and not play systems with players that are uncomfortable in the position they play.
The team I watched yesterday were worryingly very reminiscent of the shambles that got us relegated under Rahic’s tenour
It’s not the result it’s the lack of performance and the fairly obvious outcome due to the personnel in the line up. We’re fooling ourselves if we think we can get by with makeshift lineups. We need specialists in their positions.
So much imbalance on display and a real lack of identity. At least last season we knew what we were trying to be.
Worrying start. Hopefully a very strong wake up call on day one for the management
I can’t see how Mark Hughes believes we have the players to go three at the back. Ash Taylor will be an early candidate for Room 101. Even with 10 men it looked better when Platt came on.
I feel sorry for Daniel Oyegoke , when he was sent off he had switched with Kelly for some reason to left side of the three , not the best position for a right wing back !
I know it’s only 1 match but it looks worse than last season. Let’s hope a couple of good loan signings will make sense of the “master plan”
Correct; that switch in the outside CBs has not been commented on or referred to by Hughes post match, but I also noticed it. I think it was because Kelly kept getting overloaded and was on a yellow so Crawley had a simple move to play into the channel and it was looking threatening.
The problem was it immediately exposed Oyogoke to the same issue but with no time to get his bearings. He then wasn’t helped by Taylor (predictably it appears) tripping over his own feet and giving the ball away.
All of this is down to Hughes team selection and formation rather than the players.
Unfortunately this shambles was predictable through the awful performances pre-season. We simply don’t have the players for the new system. It’s going to be a very long season.
My problem with MH is that despite people saying we are lucky having such a high profile manager, the fact remains that he has never managed a top premiership team. Even Man C. were pre the big money takeover. If you are not a top team in the premiership, then the main aim of your manager is simply to keep you in the division and finish as high as you can. The effect of this then means that teams have to be set up not to lose and this is exactly what MH did with us all last season. As a result we have had to sit through too many dull games at VP. Just about tolerable if you win but a real bore when games are drawn or even lost . Even after only one game (a disastrous start in my view) nothing has changed except the players seemed even less clear about their roles than last season. League 2 football can be very exciting, goodness knows I’ve watched it for over fifty years, but trying to force lower league players into Premiership tactics just won’t work and the sooner MH realises that the better.
A universally acknowledged poor start, for all of the points already made.
My main worry, was this was against the side who are currently in turmoil off the field, & strong favourites for the drop on it. To lose say, at Stockport, Gillingham, or perhaps Wrexham or Notts Country would have been for me slightly easier to swallow than it is to lose at Crawley, but lose we did, & lessons will have to be learnt, & fast.
Last Season was Mark Hughes first full season, were such a big name manager can expect a large degree of immunity from the rath of long suffering discruntled City fans. But this is now full season No2, & if a poor start isn’t quickly put right, I’m afraid Sparky will quickly find patience is running out. That’s not to say I want him out, I just want him to put things right.
It could simply be that our manager’s previous experience has exclusively been at a much much higher level, formations, tactics, gameplay etc, which may well work well in the Premiership or even the Championship were a top quality players play their trade? But in League two, with league 2 players, perhaps a much simpler approach is better, & easier for league 2 players to implement?
For example, see our performances against Hull City & Middlesbrough, & compare to our games at Rochdale & Crawley? A huge difference in my opinion.
Mark Hughes is obviously much wiser than I am, but I would perhaps take things back to a simpler style whilst having to play in the bottom division. A 4-4-2 operating with 2 proper wing backs, & 2 attack minded wingers. Two proven forwards to aim crosses at, Cook yes, but with a strike partner he can operate & link up with. Simple enough, but possibly complicated enough for League 2. It’s only 1 game in I know, but patience soon wears thin, even with patient Bradford City fans.
Up the Bantams!
During the last nine or ten matches of the previous season we limped into the playoffs and bombed. We were far from convincing in the pre-season matches. And we looked all over the place in the opening-day defeat. We are now playing wingbacks but the two we clearly bought to played in those positions we decide it best to utilise elsewhere. Platt is a decent central defender but if he has a failing, it’s probably his being one paced. So we replace him with somebody with no pace at all, in the footballing sense. The recruitment is as patchy as ever and certainly has not improved since Gent arrived with a considerable build up. He’s spent his career scouting for Championship players. Does he understand the needs of our division? Does he know our division inside out? I suspect not – and am certain Hughes doesn’t. And why if it’s such good business to take players on three-year deals don’t other comparable clubs do the same. Disaster could strike in any game if we lost Cook or Lewis. At present there is no back up for our star striker and Doyle has not had a game for eighteen months and not been a first choice for something like 5 years. Cook cannot be expected to score so many goals again. Smith ‘runs about a lot’ according to Hull City supporters but is yet to establish himself as a goal scorer. Let’s hope he does with us. I could go on about many things that don’t look right, don’t smell right, look as though they might be making it very hard for the next manager. And Hughes will be quite an exception at this level if he sees out his contract. We need three or four new players – but not panic buys, not 30-year-olds or on long contracts. I can’t help thinking if these things need to be said, it’s pointless saying them. They are just so obvious. One defeat does not define the season but promotions are seldom achieved unless everything comes right together, players and different levels of management all aligned. Can we honestly see evidence of this?
I’m sort of relieved we were playing Crawley not MKDons as goodness only knows what the score would have been looking at them against Wrexham!
I remember the discussion on here after the end of last season about recruitment and there being alot of agreement about MH needing to deciding the formation and recruiting to that. Felt yesterday we hadn’t done that. As you say, just can’t understand the decision to play AT. He looked knacked just doing the warmup in the corner before the game. Almost seemed like the recruitment criteria was sign someone big at the back irrespective of actual ability. I’m hoping not, but if that’s the level of sophistication then we really do have a problem. It is early days so trying to remain positive but yesterday was very deflating. Come on City!
All 4 promoted teams won at Crawley last season! This is what the top teams do, beat the teams who are going to be struggling at the wrong end of the table. Not Bradford city we are going backwards at least last season we got a point there. The bottom 4 teams last season all got something at Valley Parade, Rochdale won and Hartlepool Crawley Wimbledon all got a point. Very worrying start I don’t want to write us off so early in the season but things need to change rapidly.
ILKLEY BANTAM
I think the reply I gave to Jason’s article last week sums up my feelings regarding Hughes recruitment in the close season and the previous season when in excess of 20 players have arrived most very average and some given 3 year contracts others loaned out for the season what a way to run a football club. I know we have only played one match but I believe the club will struggle to get into the play offs and predict that Hughes will be gone by Christmas.
Your only ever 6 games from the sack
After Carlisle away and now Crawley hughes I’d now 4 away
Sadly I was at both
The long term effect of all of this is that next season (without progress).the fans will vote with their feet.
So far vague promises but not backed up with action had produced high season ticket sales.
In short the fans have done their bit.
This club cannot simply limp on in L2 and expect the backing they have got so far.
And MH plus other managers should realise they are in the entertainment business.
Bit happy clappy of me but I think Hughes is waiting and relying on the loan market. Far better value for money and quality. Obviously not ideal now. We’ve had a bad day with not much going for us. I’ve also fallen foul of making too many judgements based on first games of the season.
Be interesting how opposition sides cope with a high press with a passionate crowd behind them.
Never would a chant of “you don’t know what you’re doing” have had more relevance than yesterday.
What was the man thinking of?
Is there anyone at the club challenging him on his team selection and tactics?
I don’t think so.
We have Trueman hanging around who was a negative manager.
We have Hodges who was supposedly a set-opiece specialist in his last job, and he chooses to leave no one up when defending corners.
So nope, they are all pragmatic and negative.
I will judge after 10 games, if we are not in a playoff position, then I will be worried for the season ahead, hopefully Saturday was a bit of 1st game jitters and the fact that Crawley are in a bit of mess that we thought it was going to be a stroll in the park, who we’re aware of the situation and we’re galvanised from the off and the sending off just added to that from our naivety, knowing match officials stating prior to the start of the season that they are clamping down, for me lessons learnt and move on.
Lessons learned etc etc is the sort of thing Hughes said. But it’s the first game of the season for all teams. You can’t pick and choose where you get 3 points from. They could be critical at the end of the season. Most comments on here re formation, players in wrong position, wrong players (AT for anyone who attended at least the two home friendlies) and worsening a defence which was good enough last season and was improved by Stubbs, are very similar. I hope we are all wrong. I suspect we are all right.
I’m giving it 5….
In fairness to Mark Hughes he has at times last season been willing to admit when something wasn’t working and gone with a different system (to a point) I expect him to do this after the next 2-3 games if it doesn’t work. We all want it to work out with him. No one wants him to leave unsuccessful (woody apart)!
We have 80% of what we need in a 442 style already plus new signings so plan b is still a good alternative with a squad capable of promotion. Here’s hoping anyway!…
I agree Don’t think we are too far away from a promotion challenging squad but we have to decide on a formation which doesn’t involve players playing out of position or in roles not suited to their abilities. This might work in the PL but I don’t think L2 players are able to adapt
What a mess
I’ve always thought widthofapost brought a sane view to football forums.
After an uplifting, if ultimately disappointing season, the knives have been sharpening over the past few weeks. New importance has been put on warm up games and our world of expert fans have been readying for this moment.
Our reason for thinking we will win every game this season, for thinking that clubs like Crawley have no right to play against us, is that we are a ‘big’ club i.e.we have more fans than them. I’m 54, City have never been a big club in my lifetime. My Dad is 81 they have never been a big club in his lifetime. We have had our brief moment in the spotlight, we have had some mighty cup wins but we are not a big club, we are not a sleeping giant. We are currently a L2 club – end of.
We lost 1 game, the first game of the season where it is traditional to get odd results and WOAP resembles the T&A comment section.
Saying that a player was laughed out of his last 3 clubs is an embarrassing thing to write in a so called serious forum.
I’ve got an idea, why don’t we support our team when they’re down? Dirty Leeds who were relegated in disarray last year, and then 2-0 down at home were supported by their fans in their hour of need, not booed and mocked. Support is word and gesture not presence!
Mark Hughes will probably leave because he’ll be sick of our so called fans and who can blame him.
Brilliant post. Thanks for been a voice of grounded sanity.
Agree we are, never have been and never will be a big club. There’s not many of us who demand that. I do think it’s reasonable though to expect that the pecking order of size of city/fan base/resources etc should eventually be restored and get us out of this league instead of regularly being outdone by former non-league outfits from small towns in Lancashire and suburbs of London. That’s what people are getting angry at – how long it is taking for that to happen. We’re not the only ones this has happened to, just look at the clubs in the leagues below us but it just tells you how poorly those clubs have been run and managed over the last 20+ years. Fans’ patience is rightly wearer thinner and thinner and Saturdays team selection and performance did not help that.
“I do think it’s reasonable though to expect that the pecking order of size of city/fan base/resources etc should eventually be restored and get us out of this league instead of regularly being outdone by former non-league outfits from small towns in Lancashire and suburbs of London. That’s what people are getting angry at” … and that’s the proof of what I just said!!!!
Well said!
“Saying that a player was laughed out of his last 3 Clubs is an embarrassing thing to write in a so called serious forum”. Yes it is, also rude, arrogant and wouldn’t have been said to his face, in otherwords cowardly. Very well said, Rob. I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve written.
Well said Rob
Spot on, Rob
I agree. Singling out Taylor after just 1 game was unfair. It smacked of playing the man not the ball.
He might settle into being a decent squad member, he might not, but at least give the poor sod a few more games before pointing the finger.
The Aberdeen connection reminds me of someone else who needed a couple of seasons to turn around the ship and get it right.